38 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



stops. But all the modes named are liable to the objections of complexity or uncertainty. 



The mode adopted by Mr. llohvell is to furnish the 

 bridle with a good curbing bit, the driving rain being 

 attached at the lower part of the bit, as is Been at /- in 

 the annexed figure ; a is a short piece of elastic mate- 

 rial connected with the driving rein and the central eye 

 of the bit. When the horse is passive, this elastic con- 

 nection is sufficient to drive him in the usual manner, 

 and the portion of the rein 6 remains slack, BO that the 

 curb is not applied. But when the horse is spirited, 

 or becomes frightened, or attempts to run, all that is 

 necessary is to pull tightly on the rein, as people alv 

 \ do in such cases, when the elastic piece a Btretchee and 



brings up b ; so that the curb operates effectually in the 



horse's mouth and brings him to a stand-still at once, provided that the bit is properly made. 



On the Uselessness of the Bearing Rein. 



FROM an article in a recent number of the Mark Lane Express, (England,) we make the 

 following extracts relative to the uselessness of the bearing rein, as applied to horses. It 

 says: — • 



On the Continent, the bearing rein is rarely used, and then only as a servile Engli-h imita- 

 tion ; but in hone-racing, hunting, horse-loving England, it must be confessed, it- use is all 

 but universal. The folly of the practice was, some years ago, very ably shown by Sir Francis 

 Head, in his Hubbies by an Old Man, where he contrasted most unfavorably our English cus- 

 tom of tying tightly up, with the German one of tying loosely down, and both with the French 

 one of leaving the horse's head at liberty, (and a man of his shrewdness and observation, a 

 distinguished soldier, who has galloped across the South American pampas, and saw there 

 herds of untamed horses in all their native wildness and natural freedom, is no mean au- 

 thority.) Now, he has pointed out most clearly that, when a horse has real work to do, 

 whether slow work, as in our plows and carts, or quick, as in a fast gallop, or in headlong 

 flight across the plains of America, Nature tells him not to throw his lead up and backwards 

 towards hi- tail, but forwards and downwards, so as to throw his weight into what he is called 



upon to do. This is a fact within every one's observation. We have only to persuade the first 

 wagoner we see (he is sure to have all his horses tightly borne "pi to undo his bearing reins, 

 when down will go every horse's head, so as to relieve the wearisome strain upon his muscles, 

 and give the weight of his body its due natural power of overcoming resistance; and thus 

 Iioim in i (lines enabled to do his work as comfortably and i nature intended ha 



should do; for Nature never intended a heavy animal like ■ cart-horse to perform slow 

 work only or chiefly by strain of muscle, but, on the contrary, by the power of weight at 



the rale, assisted by Strength Of muscle afl the exception, when extra resistance has to bo 

 iconic. 

 Thus, when we curb up a horse's head with our -en-ell ng reins, and make him as 



eve-necked ai we appear to do, we are inverting the rule and order of nature; wo are evi- 

 dently trying to prevent his mring the full, unrestrained power of his weight, and ar m- 



pelling him to over-train and OVt Onstantly UlOSS ft U y iiiu-clcs which should be kept 



in reserve for extra difficulties — 4uoh as greater Inequalities of the road, new-laid st 



It i- a mistake to think it improve! B horse's appearance; nothing contrary to nature cm 

 r really do thi-. It i- a mi-tike to think it can ever prevent a lior-e's falling down, though 



it has been the mean- of preventing many an old one p vcring from a stumble. But until 



our horse-ownen be taught to look at this matter in its true li^'ht — the' light of common 



sense — .it Is in vain to hope for any mitigation of this but too-unncr-al CTUI 



